Tag Archives: Pacific White-sided Dolphins

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Several Coast residents were treated to the sight of two dozen or so Dolphins obviously feeding, as they stayed for over three hours. Ken Bailey took this photo of what I think are Pacific White-sided Dolphins. However, Jodi Smith, of Naked Whale Research, looked at the photos and she says they are Risso's Dolphins. One can be seen breaching.

Pacific White-sided Dolphin breaching by Ken Bailey

Joel Chaban got a photo of their dorsal fins, which you can see slope backward at the top.

Dolphins feeding at Cooks Beach by Joel Chaban

These Dolphins eat mostly squid and some medium-sized fish.  They are not as acrobatic as Pacific White-sided Dolphins but young Risso's Dolphins can be seen breaching, as in Ken's photo.

To learn more about whales, especially Killer Whales, here is the link to Jodi Smith's Naked Whale Research website: http://www.nakedwhaleresearch.org/

Thanks to Ken and Joel for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Ken's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.seadreams.org/

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Ron LeValley was on a boat off of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast when a pod of Pacific White-sided Dolphins appeared. Ron, of course, had his camera and took these fabulous photos.

 In the photo below one of these small Dolphins was leaping ahead of the boat. "Hey, follow me!"

And these two Dolphins took a good look at Ron and the boat.

Pacific White-sided Dolphins are found in the North Pacific. They are a little bigger a man and seem to be fascinated by humans in boats. These Dolphins were severely impacted by driftnet fishing, which has since been banned early in the 1990's.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share these photos with you here. To see more of Ron's nature photography, here is the link to his web site: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/